Idioms for set

Origin of set

before 900; (v.) Middle English setten, Old English settan; cognate with Old Norse setja, German setzen, Gothic satjan, all < Germanic *satjan, causative of *setjan to sit1; (noun) (in senses denoting the action of setting or the state of being set) Middle English set, set(t)e, derivative of the v. and its past participle; (in senses denoting a group) Middle English sette < Old French < Latin secta sect (in later use influenced by the v. and Middle Low German gesette set, suite)

synonym study for set

1. See put. 70. See circle.

usage note for set

The verbs set and sit1 are similar in form and meaning but different in grammatical use. Set is chiefly transitive and takes an object: Set the dish on the shelf. Its past tense and past participle are also set : Yesterday he set three posts for the fence. The judge has set the date for the trial. Set also has some standard intransitive uses, as “to pass below the horizon” ( The sun sets late in the northern latitudes during the summer ) and “to become firm, solid, etc.” ( This glue sets quickly ). The use of set for sit, “to be seated,” is nonstandard: Pull up a chair and set by me.
Sit is chiefly intransitive and does not take an object: Let's sit here in the shade. Its past tense and past participle are sat : They sat at the table for nearly two hours. Have they sat down yet? Transitive uses of sit include “to cause to sit” ( Pull up a chair and sit yourself down ) and “to provide seating for” ( The waiter sat us near the window ).

OTHER WORDS FROM set

in·ter·set, verb (used with object), in·ter·set, in·ter·set·ting. mis·set, verb, mis·set, mis·set·ting. self-set, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH set

set sit (see usage note at the current entry)

British Dictionary definitions for set off (1 of 3)

set off

verb (adverb)

noun setoff

British Dictionary definitions for set off (2 of 3)

set 1
/ (sɛt) /

verb sets, setting or set (mainly tr)

noun

adjective

Word Origin for set

Old English settan, causative of sittan to sit; related to Old Frisian setta, Old High German sezzan

British Dictionary definitions for set off (3 of 3)

set 2
/ (sɛt) /

noun

verb sets, setting or set

(intr) (in square dancing and country dancing) to perform a sequence of steps while facing towards another dancer set to your partners
(usually tr) to divide into sets in this school we set our older pupils for English

Word Origin for set

C14 (in the obsolete sense: a religious sect): from Old French sette, from Latin secta sect; later sense development influenced by the verb set 1

Medical definitions for set off

set
[ sĕt ]

v.

n.

Scientific definitions for set off

set
[ sĕt ]

A collection of distinct elements that have something in common. In mathematics, sets are commonly represented by enclosing the members of a set in curly braces, as {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}, the set of all positive integers from 1 to 5.

Idioms and Phrases with set off (1 of 2)

set off

1

Give rise to, cause to occur, as in The acid set off a chemical reaction. [Early 1600s]

2

Cause to explode, as in They set off a bomb. [Late 1800s]

3

Distinguish, show to be different, contrast with, as in That black coat sets him off from the others in the picture, or Italics set this sentence off from the rest of the text. [Late 1500s]

4

Enhance, make more attractive, as in That color sets off her blonde hair. [Early 1600s]

5

Begin a journey, leave, as in When do you set off for Europe? [Second half of 1700s]

Idioms and Phrases with set off (2 of 2)

set